TORONTO -- Ontario's New Democrats is calling on the auditor general to investigate the Ford government's cancellation of more than 750 green energy contracts that could leave taxpayers with a $231-million bill.
The government admitted on Tuesday that they have set aside at least $231 million to pay green energy companies that were building wind turbines in the province.
One company in particular, wpd Canada, had been developing White Pines Wind Farm in Prince Edward County for the past decade, and was in the process of erecting nine wind turbines in the popular tourist destination.
President of wpd Canada, Ian MacRae, said the company "reached an agreement" with the government to decommission the project.
A government spokesperson confirmed to CTV News Toronto that White Pines Wind Farms is the only project that has to be torn down as a result of a cancelled contract – meaning wpd Canada will likely be owed the lion’s share of the $231 million.
The province’s Associate Minister of Energy said on Tuesday that the final decommissioning costs are still being calculated, leading some to draw comparisons to the gas plant scandal which haunted the former Liberal government under Dalton McGuinty.
McGuinty's government initially claimed the cost of tearing up contracts for two natural gas generating stations in Oakville and Mississauga would cost $230 million. The price tag eventually ballooned to over a billion dollars, according to Ontario’s auditor general, borne by taxpayers and rate payers.
The costs of canceling the wind turbine projects are not expected to affect hydro bills, since the expense is being paid by taxpayers not ratepayers.
